Table of Contents Show
Each year, LudoNarraCon (or LNC1 for short) invites gamers, writers, and storytellers alike to celebrate the magic of narrative-driven video games — and the best part? You don’t even have to leave your couch.
Hosted entirely on Steam and organized by indie label Fellow Traveller, LNC recreates the excitement of a traditional gaming convention in an accessible, digital space. From May 1–5, 2025, the event returns for its seventh year, bringing a lineup that’s bigger and bolder than ever.
(And, yes, we can say that since we have attended all seven years since its inception — it has come a long way.)
This year’s festival showcases 50 narrative-rich indie games, offers more than 15 hours of panels and talks from developers and writers across the industry, and gives players early access to over 25 demos — all free to explore from anywhere in the world. Plus, for anyone looking to expand their gaming library, more than 170 titles will be on sale during the event.
Whether you’re a longtime fan of story-driven games or just curious about what’s next for interactive storytelling, LudoNarraCon is a celebration of creativity, innovation, and connection — all without the airfare or hotel hassle.
“A Week In The Life Of Asocial Giraffe”
Talk to no one. Survive the week. Save your head.
In this delightfully offbeat point-and-click stealth adventure2, you step into the lanky legs of Giraffe — an anxious introvert just trying to make it through a normal week in the friendliest city in the world. There’s just one catch: if anyone talks to you, your head literally explodes. No pressure.
From browsing antique shops and doing laundry to dodging chatty gym bros and well-meaning neighbors, the game hilariously captures the quiet chaos of social anxiety. Each level mixes clever puzzles with stealth mechanics, letting you sneak, distract, and outmaneuver Friendly City’s overly sociable citizens. The art is charmingly hand-drawn, the animations are expressive and absurd, and the lo-fi soundtrack is pure serotonin.
Equal parts comedy and commentary, “Asocial Giraffe”3 is a love letter to the bliss of solitude — and a reminder that sometimes, doing nothing and talking to no one is an adventure in itself.
“The Rise Of The Golden Idol”
The award-winning detective saga returns — with more mystery, madness, and murder.
Three centuries after the grim fate of the Cloudsleys, the Golden Idol’s twisted legend is back in “The Rise of the Golden Idol,”4 a standalone sequel to one of the sharpest mystery games in recent memory. This time, players are thrust into a bizarre and modernized world of parapsychology, chat shows, corporate conspiracies, and questionable substances.
Whether you’re a returning sleuth or a newcomer, you’ll dive into 15 deadly cases — piecing together the truth using logic, deduction, and good old-fashioned observation. Fans of “The Case of the Golden Idol” will relish the clever callbacks, but no prior knowledge is required to unravel this new web of crime and corruption.
“Jump The Track”
A chaotic comedy where pachinko meets protest.
Meet Sam — a gig economy burnout whose life is one spilled matcha away from collapse. “Jump the Track”5 is a riotous blend of visual novel storytelling and pachinko-inspired gameplay, where every ball you drop can radically shift the narrative. One moment you’re rolling through inner monologues and emotional spirals, the next you’re trying to outmaneuver a system that is stacked against you.
Developed by Seed by Seed (“Baladins,” “Pile Up!“), this sharply satirical, physics-powered journey is all about reclaiming your fate…one shot at a time. With its expressive art, branching choices, and absurd humor, “Jump the Track” isn’t just a political arcade game — it is a rallying cry in pixel form.
“Very Different Tales: How Game Stories Change By Genre And Medium”
- THURSDAY, MAY 1ST, 2025 – 10 AM PDT.
Don’t just tell a story — shape it for the world it lives in.
From stealthy mouse clicks to immersive VR headsets, narrative design isn’t one-size-fits-all, and this panel digs deep into how and why that matters. “Very Different Tales”6 brings together a powerhouse lineup of storytellers, designers, and researchers who’ve shaped some of the most genre-defying games across mediums: from “Watch Dogs: Legion” and “Among Us VR,” to “As Dusk Falls” and “Homeworld: Vast Reaches.”
Led by Richard Rouse III, Deborah Hendersen, and Jesse Schell, this talk explores what it really means to tell a story in games today. How do you build a compelling narrative when your only input is a mouse? What happens when fiction needs to flex for mobile formats or immersive AR experiences? And what storytelling tricks transcend genre entirely?
This is a must-see for narrative lovers, game writers, and anyone fascinated by how stories evolve to meet the medium — and still manage to hit us right in the feels.
“Fireside Chats” — Big Ideas, Intimate Conversations
LudoNarraCon isn’t just about demos and panels — it’s about slowing down and listening in. This year’s Fireside Chats7 offer a rare chance to hear some of the industry’s most thoughtful creatives reflect on their craft, their careers, and the strange, beautiful act of telling stories through games.
Whether it’s revisiting iconic characters, decoding narrative design, or exploring memory, identity, and apocalypse, these conversations crack open the heart of what makes narrative games matter. Pull up a virtual chair — these are the chats you won’t want to miss.
Lucy James x Sam Lake — A Legacy In Shadows & Story
- THURSDAY, MAY 1ST, 2025 – 4 PM PDT.
In this heartfelt conversation, Lucy James (GameSpot, Friends Per Second) sits down with one of gaming’s most legendary narrative architects: Sam Lake. From “Max Payne‘s” gritty noir to the surreal brilliance of “Alan Wake 2,” Lake reflects on a career steeped in bold storytelling, emotional depth, and breaking all the right rules. Expect thoughtful insights, surprising reflections, and maybe even a peek into what’s next from Remedy’s master of the weird and wonderful.
Apocalypses & Other Bedtime Stories — “1000xRESIST” & The End Of Everything
- FRIDAY, MAY 2ND, 2025 – 1 PM PDT.
Why are we so drawn to stories about the world ending? In this haunting and humorous discussion, “1000xRESIST” creators Remy Siu and Pinki Li join Chris Plante (The Besties) to unpack our collective fascination with collapse.
Blending sci-fi, choreography, diaspora identity, and cold hard emotion, this talk looks at what it means to resist, imagine, and feel when the future feels fragile. Equal parts poetic and philosophical, this one lingers long after the screen fades to black.
“Despelote” — A Love Letter To Quito Through Soccer & Sound
- THURSDAY, MAY 1ST, 2025 – 2 PM PDT.
“Despelote” isn’t just a game — it’s a memory you can move through. Join Danny O’Dwyer (Noclip) and creator Julián Cordero for a fireside chat about capturing childhood, community, and culture in an authentic slice of Ecuadorian life. From pickup games to ambient city noise, this conversation peels back the layers of one of the most quietly groundbreaking games of the year.
From “The Stanley Parable” To “Wanderstop” — Davey Wreden’s Story Games Reimagined
- THURSDAY, MAY 1ST, 2025 – 12 PM PDT.
Patrick Klepek (Remap) sits down with Davey Wreden to unpack the brilliant, introspective path from “The Stanley Parable8” to “The Beginner’s Guide“9 — and now “Wanderstop.10” Known for challenging the boundaries of what a game can say, Wreden opens up about creative risks, personal evolution, and the freedom of making weird games that speak to something deeper.
The Puzzle Of Narrative — Color Gray On “Golden Idol” & Beyond
- FRIDAY, MAY 2ND, 2025 – 10 AM PDT.
What makes a great puzzle also a great story? In this sharp and engaging fireside chat, Danny O’Dwyer (Noclip) sits down with Andrejs and Ernests Klavins — the sibling minds behind “The Case of the Golden Idol”11 and its stylish successor — to unpack how they’ve redefined the mystery genre in games.
From building logical deduction into narrative structure to balancing player freedom with authorial intent, this conversation dives into the craft behind two of the smartest games in recent memory. If you’ve ever been fascinated by how puzzles can reveal character and drive plot, this one’s for you.
“The Secret Handshake: How Writers And Players Build Game Worlds Together”
- FRIDAY, MAY 2ND, 2025 – 12 PM PDT.
Telling a great story in games isn’t just about words; it’s about trust. Trusting that players will follow, imagine, and invest. This thoughtful panel brings together an eclectic group of writers and narrative designers—including talent from “God of War: Ragnarok,” “Alan Wake 2,” “Usual June,” and more — to explore how to craft narratives that are fantastical yet grounded, intricate but never overwhelming.
With experience across AAA and indie, horror and sci-fi, narrative consulting, and inclusion work, these storytellers know how to build narrative spaces where the player’s imagination becomes part of the design. Together, they’ll explore how to create emotional clarity in complex worlds, how exposition can be wielded gently, and how to invite players into a world without ever pushing them out.
“Seasonala Cemetery”
A peaceful place where time, grief, and beauty quietly intertwine.
From Gabby DaRienzo (“A Mortician’s Tale“) comes “Seasonala Cemetery”12 — a tender, real-time experience that changes with the seasons. This living, breathing cemetery invites players to slow down, reflect, and simply be.
As you explore its quiet paths, you’ll encounter gravestones that tell the city’s forgotten stories, ambient audio from real cemeteries, and serene interactions with animals and visitors alike. Built during the isolation of the pandemic, “Seasonala Cemetery” is both an act of mourning and a celebration of the life that surrounds death.
With its gentle mechanics, soft soundscape, and seasonal shifts tied to your system clock, this free-to-play gem offers a space of comfort, curiosity, and quiet connection. A contemplative standout in the LudoNarraCon 2025 lineup — no puzzles to solve, no scores to chase. Just breath, time, and presence.
Footnotes
- LudoNarraCon, 2025. ↩︎
- Quail Button LLC. “A Week in the Life of Asocial Giraffe.” Steam, 2025. ↩︎
- Quail Button LLC. A Week in the Life of Asocial Giraffe. Steam, 2025. ↩︎
- Color Gray Games. “The Rise of the Golden Idol.” Playstack, 2024. ↩︎
- Seed by Seed. “Jump The Track.” Steam, 2025. ↩︎
- LudoNarraCon, 2025. ↩︎
- 2025 Speakers — LudoNarraCon. LudoNarraCon. LudoNarraCon, 2025. ↩︎
- The Stanley Parable on Steam. Steampowered, 2024.
↩︎ - The Beginner’s Guide on Steam. Steampowered, 2015. ↩︎
- Wanderstop on Steam. Steampowered, 2025. ↩︎
- Color Gray Games. “The Rise of the Golden Idol.” Playstack, 2024. ↩︎
- DaRienzo, Gabby. “Seasonala Cemetery.” itch.io., 2025. ↩︎